Tag Archives: African nations

Over two billion people throughout the world have their eyes, ears and minds fixed on events in Africa, World Cup matches, that is. Each goal is witnessed, people shout and scream delight if their nation’s team scores a goal, and knowledge of African football teams is at an all time high. In the meantime, dictator Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe has begun his latest assault on white farmers and thousands of their black workers by sending his goons to seize crops, equipment and farms even at the cost of resulting in thousands of additional unemployed people in his country. Nigeria is torn by violence as groups clash with government forces over issues related to who receives money for oil resources. The Congo has witnessed the death of 5,000,000 people during the last decade, but more know about a football score than the score of deaths in that land. Rwanda, which has been attempting to create a free society, is slipping back into authoritarian rule because the government will not allow any free discussion of the notorious genocide in the 1990s.

The World Cup is a great idea and it does result in binding people, but along with knowledge of who won which game and which player scored a goal it also would be beneficial to get the world concerned about drought in Niger or death in Darfur.

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe continues his disastrous policies of wrecking what was once among the most highly developed economies in Africa. He has announced his government will seize control of foreign mining and business interests by assuming a 51% control of those assets. If foreigners don’t like the arrangement, he told them to “ship out” because he intended to give those assets to the people of Zimbabwe. UN economists estimate the current 25,000% inflation rate in Zimbabwe will reach 100,000% by the end of the year.

Mugabe illustrates what happens when well meaning anti-colonialists get caught up in rhetoric rather than confront economic reality. Mugabe tries to capture the high ground of protecting African rights by ranting and raving against “colonialism,” but most studies indicate after seizing farms or businesses once controlled by people of European background, the assets are turned over to his friends, family, and henchmen. His claims to benefit “the people of Zimbabwe” are merely words designed to cover up his kleptomania which only enriches the favored few around the president. As this thug continues to brutalize his nation, South Africa and other African nations stand idly by fearing to be branded as favoring European interests. In this case, Zimbabwe has all to gain by drawing upon talents of Europeans and all to lose by allowing the African Mugabe crowd to steal from their own people.